Eon Island
by nealalalala
Summary: She had been alone for far too long. Those who had long ago desired her so badly had left her, her vegetation wilted and withered, her sky empty and grey. Fear had made them leave. But she wasn't scary, she was just lonely. So of course, when the nice pirates lead by the boy with the straw hat came along, she did everything she could to make them stay.
1. Chapter 1

**Eon Island**

 **Chapter 1**

Sanji kept his eye on the tiny speck in the distance. Within an hour, that speck would become an island and they would finally be able to dock after an incredibly long month of travel. Of course, there had been a few islands that they had stopped at along the way to gather supplies and explore, but the miniscule dot before them had been their objective, the place that they had been waiting to get to.

Well, some of them anyway. Usopp and Chopper were more than a little nervous, and his beloved Nami-swan was on the more suspicious end of wary. However, the navigator _had_ been the one to tell them about the island.

She had explained that it was charted in her logs, a large island owned by a rich family but managed by the marines. However, her accounts said that the island had been abandoned, a single person its only inhabitant for 315 years. Which was impossible. Which, of course, excited Luffy and got his blood pumping, gunning and itching to check it out. Sanji himself, Zoro, and Robin had been all for it right from the start. A little adventure wouldn't kill them. It hadn't yet, anyway.

A groan somewhere near where he had his elbow propped on the deck made him turn with a raised brow. He could only see the top of the young woman's head since she had her chin resting on her folded arms on the wooden rail, but the deep crimson hair was a dead giveaway. Sanji chuckled. "Not excited about docking, Shiloh?"

Sharp amber eyes met his. "Not particularly, no."

Now Sanji knew that the girl was no chicken. She had travelled with them long enough for him to see that she was willing and open to whatever came their way. Hell, it sure took a lot of guts to even approach them in the first place with the claim that she was Shanks' daughter. Nobody but Luffy had believed her at first, but since the straw-hat wearing idiot _was_ their captain he had the final say and his final say was to promise the redhead that he would take her to her father no matter what. The rest of them had believed that Shiloh might have had hidden intentions, but as time went on, they began to realize what Luffy must have seen in the girl: a simple and honest soul.

She helped out around the ship without complaint, no matter the task. Having been a contortionist/dancer, Shiloh, Franky, and Brook also liked to entertain the others when given an opportunity. Nami had even turned the girl into an investment. The navigator would set up shows for Shiloh and Soul King when ever they would dock, making sure to charge those who watched. Indeed, the girl took on many jobs. Somehow, the small redhead had become a sort of cabin girl for them, despite not technically being part of the crew. Still, since they had no idea how long it would take to make Luffy the King of the Pirates and subsequently find Shanks, they accepted the fact that their helpful little passenger would be with them for quite a while.

Besides having the courage to get on board their crazy pirate ship and hang around their even crazier crew, Shiloh had the gall to somehow develop feelings for a certain green-haired swordsman and the guts to confess and being pursing the oblivious idiot. With a lot of help from Sanji and a little assistance from Nami, Zoro had actually decided to take a chance on the girl and now they were currently… well, a _thing._ Sanji wasn't sure what to call it but they were definitely in some sort of relationship. A weird and awkward one. Weird because he'd never imagined Zoro being romantic (though he still hardly was. Not at all actually.) and awkward because the pair looked so strange together.

Zoro's hair clashed with Shiloh's, and their height difference was just too ridiculous; the swordsman stood a full foot over the contortionist. Still, neither party seemed to notice (or care) and they got along just fine and Sanji supposed that was all that mattered.

Reaching over to ruffle the girl's hair with a smirk, Sanji teased, "You scared, Shorty?" Sanji had at first tried to treat Shiloh with the care and flattery he gave all ladies, but something about her just prevented him from doing so. Maybe it was because she didn't act particularly lady-like, nor did she look it with her slim but solid build (not like his curvaceous, soft Nami-swan!). To him, she actually looked a little boyish. Zoro had called him a blind dumbass when he had voiced that opinion.

"No," the redhead replied slowly. "I just… have a really _weird_ feeling about that island."

"That's called being scared."

"I said I'm not-"

Sanji sighed dramatically and shrugged. "Don't worry. You're staying on the ship with Usopp and Franky anyway."

Shiloh turned wide eyes on the cook. "What?"

Zoro must have heard their conversation because he was suddenly on the other side of the redhead, casually leaning against the rail of The Sunny. "It's better that way. Safer."

The young woman turned her head back and forth from Sanji to Zoro before saying with a frown, "But Nami and Robin are going."

"And you're not," Zoro stated simply. At the look he was given, the swordsman rolled his unscarred eye and continued, "You're not a Devil Fruit User or a fighter. Hell, you don't even carry _weapons_ , Shy."

"I have throwing knives," the girl grumbled half-heartedly. While the statement was true and she did indeed always have a few knives concealed on her person, it was no secret that the girl only had them in case of emergency and wasn't all that proficient at using said projectiles. Sanji supposed it was better than nothing but in this case, it still wasn't enough. "And we don't even know if the island is dangerous at all," Shiloh added with a meaningful look up at the swordsman.

Sanji saw Zoro's gaze soften. "Let's not take any chances."

With a sigh and a slight blush that matched her hair, Shiloh shrugged and relented. "Alright. If you guys say so."

At the sweet little moment between the two, Sanji just couldn't resist teasing the swordsman a tiny bit. "Smooth, Marimo."

The blooming blush on Zoro's face was worth the sword he suddenly had to dodge. "Shut it, Shit Cook!"

* * *

Sanji rolled his eyes as he, Nami, Robin, Luffy, Brook, and Chopper stood on the sand, waiting for Zoro to walk down the gangplank. Quickly losing patience, he took a deep breath and bellowed, "HURRY THE FUCK UP, YOU INCONSIDERATE GORILLA!"

At the lack of response, Sanji squeezed his eyes shut and geared up to yell again, but Nami's adorable giggle invaded his ears and turned his tongue to mush. He moved to fix a heart-shaped eye on the buxom navigator only to be greeted by the sight of her beauty pointing up at the ship.

"How cuuuuttee!" She uttered as Robin and Brook laughed quietly.

Sanji looked up just in time to see Shiloh stand on her tiptoes to give Zoro what looked to be a quick and gentle goodbye kiss. In return, the swordsman offered a nod and small wave as he walked off the ship.

As they began to walk, Zoro falling into step with Sanji, the cook couldn't help but ask the concerned looking marimo, "You worried about leaving your sweetheart behind?"

Zoro gave him an incredibly pissed off looking glare. "As if. She'll be safer there than with us."

Sanji raised a brow. The cook had expected the swordsman to rise to the bait but surprisingly he didn't. That meant that Zoro was not taking this decision lightly. Sanji would never say it out loud, but he was a bit impressed with the respect the idiot swordsman had for his and Shiloh's relationship.

Of course, he himself put his and Nami's relationship on a pedestal, exactly where it should be. The inexperienced marimo would probably never reach that level since he was dumb and not nearly as gentlemanly as Sanji, but the cook supposed no one could since no man was as romantic as he and no woman as brilliant as the beautiful navigator. In his eyes, they were the ultimate couple and no one could ever hold a candle to them, no matter how hard they tried.

So lost was he in the thought of caressing Nami's beautiful pale cheek and kissing her soft lips that he didn't exactly notice that Luffy had abruptly stopped, causing the chef to run into and subsequently bounce off the rubber man and land on his ass in the sand.

"Luffy, what the-"

The words died on his lips as his eyes drew upward, spotting exactly what it was that had stopped his crewmates. He heard Zoro whistle in awe beside him. "That's a big ass tree."

Sanji had to snap his jaw shut to prevent Nami from seeing him gawking at the massive cloud of leaves. What they had thought were the treetops of many trees back when they had started drawing nearer to the shore was actually only a single tree on the other side of the island, it's leaves and branches spreading wide enough to look like the top of a jungle. The strangest part about it, however, was the deep red color of the foliage.

"Do you think the one inhabitant has anything to do with this?" Chopper squeaked nervously from behind Zoro's leg.

"Perhaps," Robin answered quietly.

"It's huge," Nami whispered breathlessly. Sanji dusted off his pants and gently took her hand. He looked up at the gigantic growth and nodded silently.

"It's just a tree," Zoro said with a snort.

Sanji sent him a glare. "You don't know that for sure, you arrogant bastard."

"What did you call me?!"

"You heard me you moss-for-brains sword-happy ass-"

Luffy jumped between them, arms around their necks as he swung forward happily, putting a stop to their fight before it even had a chance to really begin. "I'm getting excited!" He exclaimed. "Let's go and see what else is here!"

With one last glare at Zoro, Sanji began to follow the captain. When they had reached the point where the shore was ending and grass was beginning, he froze. The eerie feeling of being watched tickled the back of his neck and made a chill run down his arms. He turned around and found nothing. _Strange…_

Stranger still was that none of the others had shown any sign of having sensed the same thing he had. Sanji shook his head. He was probably just imagining things. Maybe he too, after a calm month of sailing, was getting excited at the chance of adventure.

At least that's what he hoped it was.

As he took his first step onto the grass of Eon Island, Sanji tried to squash the feeling of unease that had suddenly gripped his stomach.

It was probably nothing.

Still, as he walked firmly besides Nami, making sure to keep her hand in his, he couldn't help but hear Shiloh's voice ringing in his ears, cautious and worried, _"I have a really weird feeling about that island."_

* * *

 ** _A/N_**

 _Onwards towards adventure!_

 _As always, thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! You guys are the best!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Eon Island**

 **Chapter 2**

They didn't have to walk far to find the village. A giant faded sign that read "Welcome to Eon Island" swayed in the wind with an eerie and constant squeak. Beyond it were shops whose doors had long closed, the chipping paint and dusted windows giving away their prolonged desolation.

The unpaved path wound upwards, leading to a large manor that looked strangely well kept. Sanji assumed that's where the single inhabitant lived. Lovely as it was, the large building gave off an incredibly eerie feeling of having eyes. This time, Sanji was sure the others felt it as well because they all abruptly stopped walking.

"I think…" Nami began slowly. "I think whoever lives there can see us."

Chopper made a terrified squeaking sound and ducked behind Zoro's legs as the swordsman grunted, "Probably."

"We haven't been attacked yet," Robin stated simply. "So they must not feel that threatened."

Luffy put both fists in the air in excitement. "That must mean they're strong!" Before anyone could stop him, he bellowed, "HEY! ANCIENT GEEZER! COME DOWN AND FIGHT US! IT'LL BE FUN!"

"Are you crazy?!" Nami shouted as she punched the captain in the back of his rubber head. "We have no idea what this person might be capable of!"

"That's what makes it fun!" Luffy answered back petulantly as he rubbed the spot where the navigator had struck him.

"Ah," Brook said, putting an end to the quarrelling as he pointed to one of the shops to the side. The sign, in barely distinguishable letters bore the name "Hagley's." Just below the inscription was a peeling picture of a sword crossed with a gun. "Weapons," the skeletal musician informed them. "Shall we take a peek inside?"

"You won't find anything in there."

Three of the seven Straw Hat Pirates jumped; Chopper onto Zoro's head, Nami into Sanji's arms and Brook into the air. Robin merely smiled at the sudden appearance of a little girl with inky black hair curled perfectly around her face and decorated with a frilly headband. She looked almost doll-like with her elegant little dress and perfectly shined buckled shoes. Her deep ocean blue eyes stared up at them with amusement. "Daddy took all the guns."

Luffy crouched down with a wide smile. "Whoa, when did you get here, little girl?" He laughed good-naturedly and patted the child's head. "I didn't even hear you."

Sanji frowned. Neither had he, which was a bit strange. Chopper, Brook, and Nami were easily caught of guard, but the rest of them had incredibly sharp senses. How had a mere little girl snuck up on them?

"I'm good at sneaking," the girl answered, puffing out her chest the tiniest bit with pride. "If I wasn't, I'd never be able to go outside."

Quick and calm as usual, Robin knelt down and offered the child a warm smile. "You must live in that big house then." The girl nodded enthusiastically. "Are there lots of people who live there?"

"There used to," the girl replied with a small shrug. "But Mommy sent everyone away a long time ago. Now it's just me and my family."

The pirates exchanged surprised looks. So there _was_ more than one occupant. Sanji glanced at Nami who looked flummoxed. Her logs were never wrong. Why did they say only one person lived on this island? Perhaps other travelers had been paid off by the family or the marines to keep quiet? Or, the cook realized, perhaps they had lied due to fear. Which meant there was the possibility of something much more suspicious about the island than they had already assumed.

Turning on his princely charm, Sanji knelt down and gently took the girl's small hand. "Forgive us for being so rude, Princess. We haven't even properly introduced ourselves. My name is Sanji. The one with the hat is Luffy. This beautiful woman is Nami-swan and this lovely lady is Robin-chwan. The tall skeletal one is Brook. That green haired oaf with the scary face is Zoro and the adorable reindeer there is Chopper."

Strangely enough, the girl had no real reaction to seeing a living skeleton or a talking reindeer. She merely smiled and nodded at them each in turn and replied with a small curtsy, "My name is Eliza. Eliza DeLune."

"What a lovely name," Robin crooned. "Eliza," the historian began gently, "Does your family own this island?" The girl nodded. Robin continued sweetly, "We would like to explore it a bit. I promise we mean no harm. Do you think that would be all right with your family?"

Eliza looked up thoughtfully before offering a bright smile. "You can ask them. Dinner is in a few hours. If you go to my house later I can tell them I invited you and you can get their permission." She began to turn towards the path. "You can explore the forest for now but please don't explore the town until you ask Mommy and Daddy. If you do, the might get mad at me."

"We wouldn't want that," Nami said with a grin.

Eliza giggled and announced, "That's it then. Come over after you explore the forest and I'll introduce you to my family. You'll be my guests." She ran about thirty feet up the path back to the mansion before turning around and shouting with a big smile, "Don't be late!"

* * *

Zoro couldn't help but let out a frustrated growl as he swatted away a branch. A few minutes ago (or hours; he couldn't really tell since the forest was so dense that the leaves blocked out the sun) he had decided to part from the Shitty Cook whom Nami had paired him up with because the damn blond was taking too long staring at some supposedly edible grass. And by "part" he really meant had a shouting match and exchanged a few kicks and cuts before stomping away from one another.

Seriously, why did Nami still force them to pair up when they couldn't even get along for more than two minutes? Zoro was convinced that the sea witch just liked seeing him suffer. Vaguely, he wondered what that damned cook saw in her. Zoro could admit that Nami had her moments where she was tolerable, and of course since she was a crewmate she had his respect and loyalty, but the orange haired woman was so crass and bossy he had no idea how the cook found her attractive (besides her rather large bosom, of course.)

His anger began to fade as the image of deep red hair took over his thoughts. Absently pushing away a particularly thick branch, he let out a grunt and allowed himself a solitary moment of affection for the small woman still aboard The Thousand Sunny awaiting his return. They hadn't been together that long but he wasn't the type to over think things and their relationship seemed to be easy and fun, and for now that was enough for him.

The sound of rustling caused him to freeze on the spot, one hand at his hip ready to draw his swords. When a crimson blur popped out from one of the bushes on his left, he went from ready to strike to wide-eyed with surprise in an instant.

"Shy?" He put the sword he hadn't even realized he'd drawn back in it's sheath and shook his head at the equally surprised looking redhead. "What are you doing here?"

Shiloh titled her head, eyebrows raised. "I heard you calling me."

Zoro frowned. "What?"

The girl's face began to grow worried. "Didn't you call for me?" When Zoro shook his head, she continued slowly, as if to herself, "I could have sworn I heard someone calling my name…"

With a sigh, the swordsman crossed his arms and asked, "Did Usopp or Franky hear anything?"

A slightly embarrassed blush blooming on her cheeks, Shiloh replied, "Uh… I don't know. I kind of just yelled that someone was calling me and ran off the ship." At Zoro's displeased scowl, she added hurriedly, "I told them I'd meet up with you guys."

"So you just ran into the island by yourself after we already told you that it might be dangerous?"

The redhead gave Zoro a small petulant pout that broke through his irritation and brought a slight smirk to his face. "Nothing happened."

"Except you started hearing voices."

"I wasn't hearing voices! At least, I don't think I was," Shiloh added thoughtfully as she fell in step with the swordsman who had begun to walk forward.

Zoro snorted. In the month since he and Shiloh had begun their relationship, he realized that he was incapable of being any degree of annoyed at the redhead for very long. Something about her just put him at ease rather than on edge. Watching her walk along side him through the corner of his unscarred eye, he wondered when it had become natural for them to interact in this way. Every time they disagreed or felt cross with one another, somehow they ended up letting it go and chatting amiably side by side. It was such a contrast to everyone else in his life thus far. Granted, fighting with the Shitty Cook was fun (if he weren't pissed beyond all belief) and he wouldn't trade in the craziness of his crewmates for anything, but having such a calming presence in his life was actually pretty nice.

The green haired man reached out a hand and placed it on top of the short woman's head. "You're starting to sound crazy."

He was rewarded with a cocky smile and raised eyebrow. "Eh," Shiloh shrugged. "We're all a little crazy." Zoro couldn't disagree with that. After a few more minutes of walking in a comfortable silence, the redhead turned her head a few times before asking, "Where are we going?"

"Hell if I know."

Giggling, Shiloh asked, "Are we lost?"

"I'm never lost."

"Right, right."

At that moment they seemed to reach a clearing so Zoro decided it would be a good place to just take a seat and relax for a bit, maybe even take a nap. Nami and the Cook would probably be mad, but it's not like he cared about what they had to say anyway. Gesturing for Shiloh to sit beside him, the swordsman asked, "So how did _you_ end up in the forest anyway? Just following the voices?"

Shiloh playfully swatted his knee. "No!" Her smile turned a tad sheepish. "Maybe…" Zoro chuckled. "I passed the big tree though, the one we could see from the shore." When the green haired man's response was a simple and silent shrug, she asked, "How did _you_ end up here?"

Zoro told her how they had met Eliza and how she had gone up to her house to let her parents know she had invited the crew for dinner. Shiloh raised a brow. "So there _isn't_ just one occupant."

"I guess not."

The redhead nodded in agreement. "I mean," she began, "There's no way a little girl could survive all alone on an island. Let alone for 315 years. She wouldn't even be little anymore."

Knowing that Shiloh was a tad bit cautious of ghosts and spirits, Zoro did his best to keep his face as passive as possible as he said, "Unless she's a ghost." As he expected, Shiloh paled and gave him a mortified look.

"That's not even funny, Zoro!"

"She probably isn't though," he continued nonchalantly, "Looked solid enough."

"Stop, stop! You're freaking me out!" The swordsman couldn't resist the laugh that escaped him as Shiloh frantically waver her arms around, as if she could bat away his teasing words. Hearing his laughter, she ceased her swatting and crossed her arms instead. However, the smile on her face told Zoro that she held no anger towards him. "You," she said as she leaned in a little closer to his face. "Are not funny."

His cheeks grew warm at her close proximity but he managed to gather enough pride to look her in the eye and declare smugly, "You're right. I'm hilarious."

Shiloh's smile turned sweet as she shook her head and pulled away. Rather than place herself back beside him, the redhead sat with her back against the swordsman's chest and absently placed her hand on top of his much larger one, gently stroking his knuckles with her thumb. Zoro would never dare say it out loud, but the soft touch melted his heart just the tiniest bit.

"Well," Shiloh breathed after a few quiet minutes, "Since we're here, do you want to go see the big tree?"

Zoro shrugged and gently helped the small woman to her feet. "Aright. We've still got time to kill anyway."

The redhead snorted as she brushed herself off. "You sure about that?" She must have figured that Nami and Sanji would be mad if they didn't show up to dinner on time, especially since someone else had been kind enough to prepare it for them.

With a shrug, the swordsman replied, "No, but let's go anyway."

A small giggle met his ears as Shiloh took him by the hand and began to lead the way. "Is this an impromptu date, Zoro?"

The green-haired man was glad she was in front of him and couldn't see the blush that had reappeared on his face. "If you want it to be."

He probably should have been more concerned about the voice Shiloh claimed to have heard. He probably should have brought her back to the ship for safety, and he probably shouldn't have disregarded the feeling of being watched as just some nosy forest animals. But something, a small quiet something besides Shiloh's hand in his was urging him towards the tree so he let the redhead lead him there. The rest of the crew (especially that Stupid Shitty Cook) could wait a little longer.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_

 _Gotta throw a tiny bit of romance in there, of course. :)_

 _Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Eon Island**

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

"I just don't get it," Sanji heard Nami say as she swung her feet absently in the stream they had found. "My logs have never been wrong before. Why now and why about this place?"

Sanji shrugged as he lit a cigarette, taking a quick glance at the navigator at his side. God, she was beautiful. The way the light reflecting from the water hit her eyelashes dazzled him in a way that made him realize even the stars were inferior to his lovely Nami-swan's sparkle. In response to her question, he managed to reply, "There's a first time for everything, Mellorine."

"I guess…"

Wanting to cheer his lovely lady up, Sanji stretched his arms and stood, extending a hand down to the navigator who had one eyebrow raised in question. "Allow my to take your mind off of it, M'lady. How about we take a look at that big tree at the other end of the forest?"

Nami took the offered hand with a small smile that melted the cook's heart. "Do we have time?"

"Oh, I think so," Sanji replied gently. "Besides, I'll always make time to spend with my precious Nami-swan."

She rolled her eyes, but the curve of her lips told Sanji that she was pleased. "Don't flatter me too much, Sanji."

"It's my job."

"You're fired," she replied playfully.

Sanji chuckled and began to walk onwards, Nami's fingers laced with his own. Sure, he had a million questions for Eliza's family and he was simply itching to know the history of the island, but all that could wait. A romantic moment with his Nami-swan was worth putting other things aside for a little while.

* * *

"Whoa."

"Yeah."

Zoro cocked a brow at the huge tree. How did the damn thing even get that size? The crimson leaves and hardy braches were so thick and extended so far out that he couldn't even see the sky anymore in any direction. "This is a big ass tree."

He and Shiloh were actually standing on its roots, the path having long ago been swallowed by the tree's sprawling life force. It had been fairly easy for the two of them to climb over the knobby knolls but they were still amazed at how far they reached. For sure the thing had been standing for hundreds of years. However, even though Zoro didn't know much about the different types of trees, he knew for sure that this was neither an Adam nor Eve tree. It was just, as he said, a big ass tree.

When his companion said nothing, the swordsman turned to find the young woman staring at one of the higher branches towards their left. She slowly turned her head to face him, curiosity widening her eyes. "Did you see that?"

"See what?"

Shiloh inched a little closer to him, eyes going back in the direction of whatever she had glimpsed. "I thought I saw a person."

Zoro scowled and walked towards the branch, an arm out to stop Shiloh from following him. "Be ready to run." As he strained his ears for any sounds of movement aside from the natural sway of the leaves in the wind, Zoro wondered if Shiloh was scared. The redhead hadn't exactly held fear in her eyes or spoke with a tremor in her voice, but there was a certain distance in her gaze that told him she wasn't completely unfazed. The thought of anything frightening the small redhead somehow pissed him off. Ugh, he hated how much he was starting to sound like the damned hopeless Cook. And yet, he couldn't stop glaring up at the branch Shiloh had pointed out. If there were something up there that could hurt them, specifically _her,_ he would make sure to slice it up into thousands of unrecognizable pieces.

However, he didn't see a damned thing. He heard nothing but the slight rustling of leaves and saw nothing but dancing foliage. In fact, it was so quiet it was as if not a single soul were in the forest, not even himself and Shiloh. He relaxed his shoulders and turned to face the redhead. Her amber eyes met his and he felt a jolt go down his spine before he cleared his throat and declared. "Nothing."

Shiloh let out a breath and visibly relaxed. "It wasn't this creepy when I walked by it earlier."

Zoro could help letting out a snort. "When you were hearing voices?"

"You're not going to let that go, are you?" The redhead graced him with a playful smile before shaking her head. "Seriously though, it just seemed like any old tree earlier. But, you know, more massive."

The swordsman kicked aside a loose twig and asked with a raised brow, "And now?"

Amber eyes darted in both directions before settling back on Zoro's. "Now… I feel like it's got eyes."

A tingle ran down the back of Zoro's neck. He felt it too, but hadn't wanted to say anything. It was most likely just some wildlife anyway, but there was always the chance that it was something… else. Still, there was no need to make a big deal out of nothing, especially since Shiloh was with him.

Pushing aside the tiny bit of suspicion tugging at his brain, he fixed his gaze on the redhead whose back was turned to him as she assessed the rough tree trunk. He liked that despite her trepidation, she had still gone towards the center of the giant life form and reached out towards it. Shiloh was never one to simply turn tail and run. It was something he greatly respected about young woman.

"I feel like I'm being watched," Shiloh murmured.

Zoro blushed at what he was about to say. Romantic words were not his thing; In fact, he thought they were idiotic and a waste or breath. But if saying something cheesy would get Shiloh's mind off the strangeness of the forest then so be it. "It's me."

Shiloh spun around so fast that her ponytail whipped her face as she turned and set wide eyes on the embarrassed swordsman. "What?"

"I… uh," _Shit._ Awkwardly bringing a hand behind his head and looking away, Zoro finished lamely, "I was watching you because… because you're… pretty?" He hadn't meant to make it sound like a question, but it didn't to bother Shiloh because she broke into a bright smile.

"Good grief. Who are you?" She laughed as she walked back towards him and took one of his hands in both of hers. "Now I'm really scared. This forest has replaced my Zoro with one who talks like Sanji."

"Ugh. Take my swords and kill me," he groaned as he covered his face with his free hand. "Actually," he added with a not-so-threatening glare, "If you tell anyone I said that, I'll kill _you._ "

Shiloh nodded. "Duly noted."

Swallowing his embarrassment and also his pride, Zoro leaned down and touched his lips against the top of Shiloh's red hair. There were moments where he just really _really_ liked her and it made him feel weird and stupid and indeed probably a lot like Sanji. Which he hated because if there was one person Zoro didn't want to be like it was the damned love obsessed cook.

His heart almost skipped a beat as he felt Shiloh lean into his chest. He had a feeling she was hiding a blush of her own. Opening his mouth to speak, he nearly knocked the redhead over when he spun around in response to an incredibly loud and insufferable, "I FOUND IT, NAMI-SWAAAAN!"

* * *

Sanji could feel the tiny hearts swimming around his head as he gestured wildly to the expanse of foliage over head. His beautiful navigator was sure to be impressed. Granted, his sense of direction was way better than a certain _stupid green haired moron_ but still, it wasn't easy to find even the most imposing of trees in a dark and sky-bare forest.

Just as the lovely Nami-swan stopped at his side, a loud shout from in front of them made Sanji's head swivel towards the noise, moving so that his body served as a barrier between whatever danger lie ahead and his precious buxom beloved.

As quickly as the tension raced down his legs it vanished at the sight of an incredibly pissed off looking Zoro sending him a glare that would have reduced a lesser man to a puddle of urine. "Damned noisy stupid bastard-ass Shit Cook!"

The blond quirked a curly eyebrow at the stream of curses falling from the swordsman's mouth. He was about to ask what the hell was the stupid Marimo's problem but the sight of red hair behind said idiot changed his focus. "Shy?" He asked with mild surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"You know, Sanji," the redhead said with a sigh and a side-long look at the incredibly pissed off looking Zoro, "I'm not even sure anymore."

Nami let out a giggle, a smirk spreading across her lovely lips. "Did we _interrupt_ something?"

Zoro growled and crossed his arms, looking both very petulant and very guilty. Shiloh's eyes shifted towards the ground. The cook raised a brow. He wasn't sure whether he was amused or disgusted at the idea of Zoro having a moment with the little redhead.

His beloved navigator let out another laugh but left the two alone, choosing instead to look at the tree with mild disappointment clear on her features. "This is it? It's just a tree."

The swordsman snorted. "What were you expecting?"

Nami rolled her eyes. " It looked so spectacular from a distance that I thought it'd have treasure at its base or something."

"You would."

"What are you trying to insinuate about my precious Nami-swan you brute gorilla?!" Sanji grabbed the green-haired man by the collar, their faces only inches away, both of them scowling. "I really should teach you some manners."

"Try it, you scrawny-ass pervert."

Before Sanji could deck the muscled-idiot, Shiloh popped up between them with her arms out, effectively separating the two. "Now, now," she said calmly. "Let's not fight here." She looked up at Zoro. "Didn't you say you had somewhere to be?"

"Dinner," Sanji answered. "At young Miss Eliza's house." He sighed dramatically. "I'd kick your ass now Marimo but as a gentleman I must honor my commitment to our new little friend."

Zoro snorted and began to walk the opposite direction from the blonde. "As if you could."

Sanji let him walk a few paces until Shiloh began to follow then called, "Hey, stupid. The mansion is this way." His little date with the beautiful Nami-swan would have to wait after all. Well, he told himself firmly, he would definitely make it up to her later.

* * *

"Whoa."

Sanji titled his head and squinted at the building before them. It hadn't looked weatherworn from town, but then again, they had been a fair distance away. The rest of the crew merely stared, taking in the mystifying yet graceful presence of the mansion. Shiloh had been the only one to voice their awe. "It's huge."

"It almost… doesn't seem _real._ "

A slight chill went down the cook's back at his love's words. There was some truth to what she had said. Though the ivory home was grandiose with large bay windows and beautifully carved pillars, it lacked any life. The windows were dark with dust, the pillars choked with spiraling ivy. Some shingles from the roof were cracked and in various places they were missing all together. In its entirety, the mansion looked like a beautiful but eerie painting.

"Of course it's real," Luffy suddenly exclaimed as he stomped forward. Before anyone could say or do anything, the dark haired captain reared back his fist and sent it straight into the door in the loudest, most obnoxious knock they had ever heard. If the door hadn't been made of iron it would have broken. "ELIZAAAA!" Luffy yelled as the others covered their ears, a mixture of exasperation, amusement, and worry on their faces. "WE'RE HERE! IS THE FOOD READY?!"

Sanji took the opportunity to whack the younger man in the back of his rubbery head. "Gum-brained idiot," he chastised. "Don't be so rude! We're already imposing-"

It was then that the door opened slowly, revealing a smiling Eliza. Sanji frowned. How had she opened that heavy door? He shook his head, pushing down the rising suspicion in his gut. Perhaps there was some sort of mechanic to it. Rich people could afford such things, after all.

"My new friends!" The young girl exclaimed excitedly. "Come in. Mommy and Daddy aren't back yet but they should be soon. You can wait for them in the parlor."

As Eliza led them inside, the group stared in awe at the beautiful mural on the ceiling. It was contained in a large circle, with pretty little cherubs flitting around the perimeter. In the center where all their little faces were pointing, was a tree with red leaves. Two chandeliers hung on either side of the piece, coated in a fine layer of dust but dazzling all the same.

"It's beautiful," Robin breathed.

"Mommy loves fancy things," Eliza chirped as she opened a large mahogany door for them. Inside the room were a few sofas, armchairs, and tables with bookshelves lining the far wall. Sanji could see paintings hung about, mostly of stuffy looking men and women and one of a flower vase. Deep red curtains hung around the windows, pulled back with golden ropes.

Sanji let out a soft whistle. They were definitely in the home of wealthy people.

"Wow," Luffy laughed as he jumped onto a sofa. "Fancy!"

Brook placed himself in a chair and leaned back with a chuckle. "Yohoho! Indeed!"

"You can relax in here for a while," Eliza told them. That was all the encouragement the pirates needed; they began to disperse around the room, curiously looking at the décor and furniture.

Eliza let out a small sigh and looked up at Sanji (who had remained near her) apologetically. "I'm really sorry my parents aren't home yet. But they should be here within the next hour. You're all more than welcome to-"

Sanji raised a brow as Eliza's eyes suddenly widened and stared past him. Curiously, he turned around and followed her gaze to find that she was looking at Shiloh, who was chatting idly with Zoro. Right, Sanji remembered. The redhead hadn't been with them when they had first met the little girl. "Oh, please excuse our rudeness, Miss Eliza. That's our friend, Shiloh. She came down from our ship and-"

Before he could finish, the young girl had gone up to Shiloh and taken her hand. The older of the two spun around quickly in surprise, only for her gaze to soften at the sight of their young host. Shiloh smiled and knelt down to be eye-level with Eliza. "Hello," she began gently. "We weren't formally introduced before. My name is Shiloh Catling. I'm with these guys you met earlier. Sorry for imposing."

From Shiloh's warm gaze and gentle speech, Sanji could immediately tell that she liked kids. He supposed it wasn't that surprising; she looked enough like one to nearly be kindred spirits with them.

Eliza seemed to blush as she stared intently into Shiloh's golden amber eyes. "Your hair…"

Shiloh tilted her head slightly. "My hair?"

"It's so pretty…"

"Thank you," the redhead replied with a laugh. "Yours is too. I can never get mine to hold cute curl like that."

Sanji happened to make eye contact with Zoro as the young woman and child continued to make small talk and immediately felt unease seep into his skin. The swordsman's face was passive enough, but his eyes told Sanji to keep his guard up. He must have sensed something. Sanji blinked and the moment was gone, but he had gotten the message loud and clear: _Something isn't right._

Instinctively, he scanned the room for the others. Luffy and Brook were sitting across from one another, the skeletal musician singing a silly song about powdered wigs to the laughing captain. Nami, Robin, and Chopper were looking at the bookcases. Zoro stood against the nearest window to the cook, also scanning the room. Shiloh was still chatting with their new little friend.

The cook stuffed his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath. He couldn't shake the feeling of something being amiss, despite absolutely nothing really out of ordinary occurring. Everyone was fine, and Eliza seemed like a very normal little girl, living in a luxurious (albeit slightly unkempt) mansion.

Yet there were small things, possibly insignificant things that kept nagging at this mind. Why had Eliza's family sent all the workers away from the mansion? Where were they and why did they leave their child to her own devices?

His thoughts were interrupted as Eliza loudly and excited asked Shiloh, "Do you want to see my room? I have lots of toys we can play with!"

Again, the cook and swordsman shared a look, but before they could say a word, Shiloh had answered with a simple, "Okay."

"Wait a minute," Zoro replied instantly as he put a hand on the redhead's shoulder and spun her around. "Is that really a good idea? It's safer if we all stay together."

"It's only for a little while," Shiloh insisted gently. "Come on, Zoro. She's probably alone a lot and doesn't have anyone to play with." Sanji stiffened. Shiloh was giving the swordsman a small grin but there was a look in her eyes, something urgent and serious that just didn't feel right. He knew Zoro could see it to by the way the swordsman was so intently focusing on the redhead. Shiloh turned to Eliza and said cheerily, "Give me a second, okay? Then you can show me your room."

"Okay!"

Sanji met Shiloh's gaze and moved closer to her and Zoro. "What's going on?" He asked quietly.

"Something's weird about this place." For once, Sanji found himself agreeing with the moss-headed swordsman. "I don't know what it is but something feels… off."

Shiloh sighed. "I know. Just let me go with Eliza. Maybe she'll tell me something if I entertain her for a bit."

The three stood in a tense silence until Zoro let out a breath and asked, "Will you be all right by yourself?"

With a snort, Shiloh gave them what Sanji assumed was supposed to be a reassuring smile. However, it didn't quite reach the redhead's eyes, making him feel that much more nervous. "She's one little girl. I think I'll be fine."

Sanji and Zoro watched as Shiloh walked back to an incredibly giddy Eliza, frowns on their faces. The cook found it hard to mistrust the child, let alone when she was smiling so innocently at their friend. He had an feeling that if there were something strange going on, the child was merely caught in the middle of it all. Perhaps it would be the kindest thing to do to have Shiloh play with her for a bit.

And yet, he couldn't forget the statement about the island in Nami's log that they had disregarded when Eliza had mentioned her family.

 _For 315 years, there's only been one inhabitant._

* * *

 ** _a/n_**

 _It's been a while but hopefully I can get back to getting this story up and running! Thanks for reading!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Eon Island**

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

"Mommy and Daddy should be back any minute now," Eliza said as she led Shiloh towards the door. "Please stay here until they come. I'll get in trouble if they find you wandering around the house." She sent them a cute little smile before waving. "We'll be back after I show Shiloh my room and my toys! Bye!" And with that Eliza and Shiloh disappeared behind the closing door.

The Straw Hat Pirates looked at one another.

Nami put her hands on her hips. "So we're definitely exploring the rest of this house, right?"

Luffy burst into laughter as Sanji practically shouted, "Of course," the same time Zoro yelled, "Hell yeah!"

* * *

Sanji and Nami had been walking down a particularly empty hallway when they noticed a few paintings hung near the windows. "Sanji," Nami had called. "Look at this." Sanji had immediately been at her side and followed her gaze. In a large ornate silver frame was a painting of a lovely woman with deep chestnut hair curled softly, framing her face and striking green eyes. Her dress was white and flowing, pooling at her feet. In tiny gold letters at the bottom right of the painting, they could make out the words, "Mrs. DeLune."

"She's beautiful," the cook breathed. "Of course," he added with a flourish of his hands, "You're still the fairest of them all, Nami-swan."

"There isn't much of resemblance between her and Eliza," the navigator observed, ignoring his compliment.

While Sanji wished she had at least acknowledged his words, he understood that her brilliant mind was trying to figure out the creepy place they were in. She had felt misled by her travel log and no doubt wanted to fill in the blanks herself. Such an intelligent woman! "Perhaps Little Miss Eliza looks like her father," he suggested helpfully.

"Maybe…"

The pair didn't wonder very long. About a hundred feet away on the same side there stood another painting, the same size as the first with the same kind of fancy frame. And there in the lower right hand corner, was the neat little inscription that read, "Mr. DeLune." A chill ran up Sanji's spine at the pale, golden haired man looking down at them with large brown eyes. "Or… Maybe not," he whispered.

His companion remained silent for a moment before she faced him with an expression that was half uneasy, half stubborn. "She could be adopted. Or look like one of her grandparents. They say looks skip a generation."

Sanji nodded, though his senses were telling him something else was going on in the increasingly creepy house. He didn't want to scare his lovely Nami-swan so he put on the most cheerful face he could and replied, "I hadn't even thought of that. You're so intelligent, Nami-swan!"

Again, his love ignored his compliment, choosing instead to walk ahead. Sanji sighed internally but managed to grin at Nami's determined single-mindedness. He quickened his pace to fall into step with her and reached out slowly for her hand. The cook felt his heart skip a beat when Nami didn't pull away and instead gave his hand a small squeeze. With a deep sigh, she asked conversationally, "So where do you think this hallway goes?"

Sanji looked up thoughtfully. "Judging by the decor and lack of suitable furniture, I'd say it either leads to an office or study. Possibly a library."

Nami nodded. "Makes sense. That explains the lack of anything personal lying around."

"And the paintings," Sanji added. "I hear wealthy people hang portraits on the walls to impress important guests or business partners."

"What a waste," the orange haired woman scoffed. "If I had that much money to throw around I'd buy flags from every single country and hang them to remind myself of all the places to see."

Sanji felt a warm smile form on his lips. Nami-swan was truly a navigator through and through. "That's beautiful, Nami-swan. But don't you already have enough money to do that?"

Nami smirked at his little teasing jab. "Maybe. But right now, the only flag I want in my life is our Jolly Roger."

A strong sense of camaraderie filled the cook's heart, causing him to simultaneously stand up a little straighter and squeeze the smaller hand in his. Sure, every single one of them had been weirdoes and outcasts, but together...

Together they made a family. The craziest, loudest, silliest, _strongest_ family that there ever was or would be. He knew in his heart he wouldn't trade any of them for anything, even stupid meathead Zoro.

"What's with the smile?" Nami asked with a grin.

"Oh," he replied with a small chuckle and a quick peck to her cheek, "Just thinking about how wonderful life is."

Nami laughed and gestured towards the darkening hallway. "A creepy place like this made you think like that? You're so weird, My Prince."

"It's because your presence lights up this whole place." This time he wasn't merely giving her beautiful words to flatter her, but his truest feelings in the hopes that she would feel the intensity of his love. "As long as you're by my side, nothing can stop me."

"Stop it." She had turned away, but Sanji hadn't missed the blush on her cheeks and the gentle smile on her lips.

They walked along a little further, hand in hand and hearts warmed by each other's presence, until a deep chill surrounded them at the sight of what was at the end of the hall.

There stood yet another painting: A family portrait. Mr. DeLune stood tall, commanding respect in his navy blue suit, his dark gold beard surrounding a small smile. His arm was wrapped around the waist of Mrs. DeLune who stood to his left wearing a beautiful royal blue dress, her eyes shining. And there in the middle of the two, with her mother's hands planted gently on her small shoulders, was Eliza.

Only it wasn't Eliza at all.

The little girl in the painting wore a frilly sky blue dress with shiny buckled shoes, the exact outfit Eliza had been wearing. But her hair and eyes had been colored over sloppily with a thick crayon, changing the golden hair to black and the eyes to a deep pupil-less ocean blue.

"What…?"

Sanji pulled Nami closer to him, safely securing her to his side with his arm around her waist. There was _definitely_ something strange about the mansion. He stared at the words at the lower right corner of the canvas. In tiny gold print it read: "Mr. Arturo DeLune, Mrs. Lucinda DeLune, and their daughter, Eloise DeLune."

An involuntary shiver ran up Sanji's spine. The name "Eloise" had a large 'X' over it, with the name "Eliza" written above in sloppy handwriting.

The cook shook his head. He should have known better than to not mention to the others the strange vibes he had been getting since they had docked. Now they were in the belly of the beast with barely an idea what the creature even was. "I have a strange feeling," he began slowly, "That we won't be meeting Mr. or Mrs. DeLune after all."

Nami turned wide eyes on him, eyes that shone with the horrid fear of terrible realization. Sanji's stomach fell the exact moment Nami took a shallow breath and whispered, "We need to find Shiloh."

* * *

"What kind of place is this?!"

Zoro rolled his eyes and covered his nose as Luffy stared at the long rotted food in the fridge. "Close the damn door already. There's no way there's anything edible left in there with a stench like that."

Luffy let out a whine as he did as Zoro said and crossed his arms. "I don't get it," he said with a near pout. "Eliza said we'd be having dinner. How can we have dinner if there's no food?"

"We won't. That's probably not the real reason she brought us here."

"She _lied_?! That sneaky little kid!"

Zoro squared his shoulders and let out a breath, causing the darker haired man to frown. "Luffy," the swordsman began seriously, "Have you felt anything strange since we got here?"

The captain looked up thoughtfully before replying simply, "Not really but it smells weird."

"You just unleashed the smell by opening the fridge."

"No, I mean the entire island smells weird. Even outside."

"What?" The swordsman frowned. Shiloh had heard voices and he knew for a fact that he and the Shit Cook had felt like they were being watched. How was it that it was Luffy's sense of smell that had caught a whiff of something strange? Why had they all picked up on different things?

Taking his first-mate's confusion in stride, Luffy explained, "It smells kind of like the inside of an empty closet."

Curiously, Zoro took a couple of tentative sniffs. He smelled nothing except the dank scent that escaped the fridge, courtesy of the captain. "The Ero-Cook and I both felt like someone was watching us earlier."

Luffy cocked his head a bit. "Huh? And you guys didn't say anything?"

Zoro crossed his arms. "Nothing attacked us so I figured I'd just leave it alone. Maybe the cook felt the same way. Who knows how his mind works."

"Yeah," the dark haired man replied thoughtfully. "The smell is weird but not so weird I was worried or anything. A lot of things smell weird anyway. Like Usopp. Sometimes Usopp smells weird."

The swordsman groaned. "I didn't need to know that."

"And I don't think Eliza is a threat," Luffy added, ignoring the green haired man's complaint. "She's just a little kid."

Zoro nodded. He had felt very much the same, but he was starting to wonder. According to Nami's logs (which were never wrong), there was only one occupant on the whole island, and had only been one for the last 300 years. So far, they had only seen Eliza, though she had claimed her parents were somewhere around. Since they had yet to see her mother and father, it was entirely possible that she was lying. But why? And if she was indeed the sole occupant, how did she still look like a child?

They hadn't yet ruled out the possibility that the single occupant was a Devil Fruit User, and with all the signs pointing to Eliza, it seemed almost guaranteed. After all, stranger things had happened. They _did_ have a previously dead, reanimated skeletal musician as a part of their crew.

"Ugh," Luffy exclaimed, interrupting his thoughts. "There's nothing in here. Let's go explore some other room, Zoro."

"Yeah."

After ten minutes of wandering around aimlessly in some dark hallway, the pair found themselves in a small, surprisingly cluttered study. Papers were strewn about the floor, a waste paper basket tipped on its side spilling its contents on the dusty wood floor. The walls were lined with bookshelves, some volumes splayed open on their pages on the ground and others piled high all around the room

Zoro instantly noticed a large journal sitting right in the center of the desk. After exchanging curious looks with Luffy, he picked up the book, blowing dust of the cover before opening it to the first page.

 _"Autumn 27_ _th_ _. I've decided to keep a personal log of all that goes on around here. Not that official documents of ownership and treaties with the marines aren't a barrel of laughs but being able to put things into my own words will be a lot easier for me to understand. We've been the official owners of this island for about two weeks now and we still haven't thought of a name. Since our business will be tourism and the mansion will be opening up to the public in a month or so we really should get on that."_

Zoro paused to look up at Luffy who was picking his nose. "I guess now we know what the purpose of this place was." When the captain merely shrugged, Zoro rolled his eyes and kept reading.

 _"Despite all the stress of moving and bargaining with the marines, coming here seems to have been a good decision. Lucinda is smiling so much more and Eloise's condition is already showing signs of improvement. She was able to run around the yard without getting winded yesterday. It's as if just being away from the hustle and bustle of the city has purified us all of our worries and stress. I can only hope that things keep going smoothly. Marines have been stationed all over the island for protection, but I doubt anything too troublesome will come our way. Things are looking so much brighter for us."_

"So this guy is the one who bought the island. And he brought his wife and kid," Zoro explained.

"I'd rather live here than a city too," Luffy replied. After a second of thought he frowned and said, "But wait. I thought Nami's log said that this place was uninhabitable? Like vegetation would die and newly built homes would burn down or something weird like that?"

The swordsman scowled. The captain had a point. "Maybe," he ventured slowly, "Maybe this was before."

"Before what?"

"I don't know. But something must have happened to make things change." He had no doubt in his mind that Nami's log was accurate. She certainly reminded them enough. Yet he had no reason to believe that the account he was reading was false, which could only mean that both were true.

Luffy peeked over his shoulder and gave him a toothy grin. "Keep reading," the captain urged, "I bet we'll find out!"

Zoro couldn't help but comply with his eager captain. He had to admit, he was getting curious as well.

 _"Winter 5_ _th_ _. A ship with all the maids, butlers, and groundskeepers came today. I've never seen a group of happier looking people. One of the marines told me that they're all excited for the chance of a better life, a chance to work hard and be free of wherever or whatever it is they came from. I was assured that none of them were criminals or prisoners. My peace of mind remains._

 _"My dear sweet Lucinda took Eloise to meet every single one of them. She insisted that it was important for our daughter to understand that these people are here to work; they are servants, not slaves. She is absolutely correct, of course, but by the look of some of them, they probably were slaves before they came here. Thin, frail, scared… we'll have to fix that. I do not want a single person in my home, family, guest, servant, or otherwise, to feel ill at ease. This place has become our Eden and I want to share it with all who inhabit it, no matter how temporarily._

 _I wish I could have met all the servants as my wife and daughter had, but I had a meeting with the landscaper who will be working on the garden out back. Eloise mentioned there being a maid who was the same age as her. This saddens me a bit. Children should enjoy their youth, not be put to work. I'll make it a point to meet this young one myself and make sure she isn't worked too hard."_

"Wait," Luffy broke in with a frown. "This is the guy who bought this house and island, right?"

Zoro nodded. "That's what it sounds like."

"When we first got here, Eliza said only her and her family were left here."

"Yeah, so?"

Luffy rubbed at the center of his forehead as if it were bothering him. "I'm not the greatest at thinking but doesn't that mean the guy who wrote this is her dad?"

Zoro frowned. "But he said his daughter's name is 'Eloise.'"

"Maybe Eliza was born after?" Luffy suggested.

The swordsman looked up in thought. He wasn't the greatest at thinking such things through either. He was a man of action, not probabilities or hypotheticals. "Or it's possible that they sold the place to Eliza's family somewhere along the line."

"Hmm…" Luffy replied softly. "That's true." He groaned and plopped down on the ground, back against the wall. "This is so annoying and boring at the same time but I have a feeling it's important."

"I get you," Zoro agreed with a sigh. "Better keep reading then."

 _"Winter 7_ _th_ _. The cruelty of the world still manages to reach us, even here at our newly found paradise. The little girl Eloise told me about has never even been given a name, only a number. She told me her name is 12. She's small for her age and clearly malnourished. I've told the rest of the staff to make sure she eats properly and gets enough rest. Apparently, one of the other maids, a young redheaded woman named Delilah has been watching over the little one, almost like a surrogate mother. It eases my mind a bit that she has done so. I must make sure to check on the two of them a bit more often than the rest. How anyone could enslave such sweet girls completely bewilders me. To be so young and exposed to the ugliness of mankind to that degree… As a father, it breaks my heart. I only hope I can provide them (and the rest of the servants) a safe and secure place to call home, and the peace of mind that comes from working for a true gentleman._

 _Eloise has taken a liking to 12. I may have the little one become her personal companion, as it would do them both a lot of good. There aren't any children on the island besides the two of them. Hopefully they can become friends. It wouldn't be good for either of them to be too lonely in on an island full of adults. I wonder if I ever bore my darling Eloise? I'm sure it'll happen one day when she's a teenager and I a bumbling old man, but hopefully it hasn't happened already in her early childhood. Then again, she has much of her mother in her and dear Lucinda has become a pro at humoring my silliness. Bless them both."_

"A maid with red hair…" Zoro turned to face Luffy, a strange feeling beginning to build in the pit of his stomach. The captain gave him a half confused half concerned look. "It could be a coincidence."

"Maybe." The swordsman tried not to think about the bright spark he had seen in Eliza's eyes as she had first set eyes on Shiloh. Every fiber of his being wanted to believe that it was merely chance that the strange young girl had taken a liking to the redhead or that she had sensed the young woman's natural kindness and caring. But somehow, his instincts told him otherwise and his instincts were almost never wrong. With a deep sigh, Zoro looked towards the dark doorway that led to the hall, the journal still clutched tightly in his hands. There were answers in the book for sure, but he wasn't convinced that they were the kind they wanted.

Luffy had taken the book from him and began to read: _"Winter 10_ _th_ _. Today was a christening day. We finally decided on a name for the island. Actually, it was Eloise and her new friend that gave us the idea. The little one mentioned how happy she is to be here and that she wants to stay forever. Hence, we decided to name this place 'Eon Island.'"_

"Makes sense," Zoro deadpanned.

 _"Eloise's little maid received a new name today as well, or should I say, a proper name. My darling daughter has become to attached to her that she wanted to give her a name like hers."_

Zoro's breath caught in his chest as Luffy gave him a look. The worry in his captain's eyes unnerved him. Taking a breath, Luffy continued slowly, as if making sure the words on the page were true:

 _"Her name is Eliza."_

* * *

 _ **a/n**_

 _Oooh... Spooky!_

 _As always, thank you for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Eon Island**

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

If Robin were a less sophisticated woman, she would have sighed. It wasn't as if she disliked Chopper and Brook, but the simple truth was that both were absolute cowards when it came to anything even minutely creepy. She herself happened to love eerie places, but she could barely enjoy the dreary atmosphere with a shivering Chopper in her arms and nine foot tall Brook cowering behind her, bony hands clutching her shoulders. She had sprouted an extra arm to reassuringly pat the skeleton's back.

Honestly, the basement floor wasn't even that scary. The doctor and musician had simply spooked themselves at the very idea of even going downstairs. They must have expected to find a dungeon or something equally dismal. Deep down, Robin _wished_ it were something that interesting. What greeted them instead was a hallway full of doors on each side.

Chopper nearly had a heart attack when she opened one of the doors only to reveal a small bedroom with four beds. She tried many times to explain as she opened and shut more and more doors to reveal the exactly same decor as the first that they had merely stumbled upon some sort of servants quarters but her two companions wouldn't listen to reason. Not that she was really upset or anything. She knew them well enough to expect the behavior and couldn't fault them, really. They were young. Well, not Brook but he was definitely young at heart.

Absently patting Chopper's head, she generated another hand to push open the last door on the left at the end of the hall. The three of them froze at the sight of the disheveled room. Like the others, it had four beds and four sets of drawers but unlike the others, the beds were unmade, shelves were pulled out, and an array of papers, clothes, and linens littered the floor.

"S-Someone was mad…" Chopper squeaked as he carefully climbed down from the historian's arms.

Robin shook her head and took a further step inside. "No, someone was looking for something."

"That's amazing, Robin-san!" Brook exclaimed. "How can you tell?"

The dark-haired woman looked about the room with her sharp eyes. "If they were simply taking out their anger, things would have been broken. A person in a rage wants nothing more than to destroy, but a person who is searching for something wants to uncover."

Brook followed her gaze and walked up to one of the blankets thrown haphazardly onto the floor and gingerly picked up the corner. "They certainly uncovered everything."

"Maybe not," Robin replied as she walked about, carefully stepping over the myriad of things lying on the floor. She made her way towards the bed and crouched, feeling the grooves between the floorboards. One of them had been pried up the tiniest bit, small scratch marks lining the lifted edge. "Whoever it was wasn't strong enough to check under here."

"Huh?!" Chopper cried as he ran to her side, disbelief overriding his fear. "But even I could do that! _Without_ a rumble ball!"

Brook looked up thoughtfully. "They must've been very weak."

Robin felt the twinge of realization run up her spine. "Or," she added quietly, "Very young."

Chopper and Brook exchanged uneasy looks as Robin easily loosed and lifted the floorboard. As she reached into the dark space underneath, the historian could feel her two crewmates peeking curiously over her shoulder. She supposed it was better than having them cowering around her. Jaw set in determination, she felt around until her hand came in contact with something flat and solid. She pulled it all the way out, earning confused looks from the doctor and musician.

She, however, had expected as much. In her hand was a very dusty journal. Wordlessly, she gently blew the dust off the front, revealing a deep purple cover with embossed vines and flowers. Without hesitation, Robin opened to the first page and looked on the inside of the cover, knowing she would find a name.

There, written in a faded but beautiful script was the name "Delilah."

"That's a pretty name," Chopper whispered.

Brook nodded in agreement. "Very much so."

Robin took a breath and flipped to the next page, expecting a written entry but instead finding a beautiful drawing of a girl, probably in her early teens with bright red hair. _"This is me,"_ it read on the line just below. _"And I am no longer a slave! I've been hired by the DeLune family to work on their estate. They've already provided rooms for us and gave us our first week's wages! I can't believe it! A real job and a real home! Finally, I can live a real life!"_

On the opposite side of the page was another portrait, one of a much younger girl with dark hair and deep blue eyes. She wore a frown much too serious for someone so young. _"This little girl was a slave too. At first she was so sad and scared and barely talked to anyone, but now we're friends and she's being nicer. I promised her I'd take care of her. She goes by '12' but I keep telling her to pick a new name since she can't remember her real one. I can't remember a lot of things either. Maybe it's a slave thing… Everything before having a master has been washed out. I'm pretty sure I had a little sister. Maybe that's why I want to take care of 12. I wish I could remember, but… maybe it's better not to. A new life is starting for us and it might be best to just let go of the past and look forward to the future!"_

"What's it say?"

Robin peeked over her shoulder at Chopper who was covering his eyes with his hoofs as if expecting something scary to jump from the journal and attack him. Brook was leaning a bit away, seemingly torn between reading over the historian's shoulder and feigning disinterest.

"It's a collection of drawings. This young Miss Delilah seemed to have a talent for it."

She felt the reindeer and skeleton lean in for a closer look, their curiosity winning over their trepidation. The next page held a drawing of a little girl with beautiful golden hair and striking green eyes. " _I got to meet the little mistress today! Her name is Eloise and she's an absolute doll. The drawing doesn't do her justice but I did my best. Anyway, she's lovely and kind and very spirited. She seems to have taken a liking to 12. I'm glad. Maybe she can bring her out of her shell a little more."_

"Wait," Brook broke in quietly. "I thought the young mistress of this estate was Eliza. Isn't that what she told us?"

"In not so many words, yes," Robin answered. "But even children can lie."

The historian was no fool. She knew what was on the next page before she even read the entry. _I just realized I hadn't drawn a portrait of 12 yet. Here it is._ And there it was. Staring out from the page up at Robin, Brook, and Chopper were the deep blue eyes of Eliza. Her dark hair was long and loose, not curled as they had seen earlier, but there was no denying that the small face drawn in the journal was hers. Despite loving all things eerie and weird, Robin felt a chill run up her spine.

Chopper made a sound halfway between a whimper and a gasp. "Eliza was lying to us the whole time? Why would she do that?" After a brief pause, he shivered violently, fur turning white as a sheet and exclaimed, "Is she going to _eat_ us?!"

Brook screeched as well, arms flailing dramatically. "Please, no! I wouldn't be a good meal; I'm all bones!" His expression changed immediately to what Robin could only describe as 'ridiculously pleased.' "Because I am! Yohohohoho!"

The dark haired woman was torn between mild annoyance and amusement at the other two. Taking a breath, she said softly, "Somehow I don't think Eliza's intention is to hurt us. She may be hiding something but I don't sense a dangerous spirit."

Chopper visibly relaxed. "Oh," he breathed, "Good."

Brook once again loomed over Robin's shoulder, timidly peeking at the journal. "What could such a young child be hiding, I wonder…?"

Robin's breath caught in her chest as she laid eyes on the drawing on the next page. It was a wonderfully detailed drawing of the massive tree on the island, but instead of being the deep blood red color they had seen all the way from the shore, it was green as a normal tree would be. _"12 and I went exploring during our free time today. I finally got to see the huge tree that sits at the center of the island. It's beautiful and calming, like a silent guardian housing us and keeping us safe. Mr. DeLune said that the roots probably run throughout the whole island, or maybe even under it. He said that the tree may have a way of filtering the salt from the seawater and told us to taste the tree's bark to see if it was salty. I didn't do it but 12 did and she said it was."_

 _"She's really starting to come alive here. I have no doubt it's mostly due to Mistress Eloise. The two of them have become really close and I'm thankful. I will always look out for 12 but seeing her having a more or less normal childhood with a friend makes me so happy."_

 _"Speaking of... I met a boy my age yesterday. He brought the mail. He was so handsome and nice. I would draw a picture but I'm too embarrassed! Maybe some other time after I get to know him more._ _ **If**_ _I get to know him more. I really hope so!"_

Ignoring the slight giggling bubbling from between Brook's lipless mouth at the last entry, Robin began to skim through the passages. While interesting, young love wasn't what she was hoping to find within the pages of the book and neither, she was sure, was whoever it had been who had so desperately tried to find it. There had to be a reason; something important within the pages that made it so sought after. What it was she wasn't sure, but the archaeologist knew she would recognize it when she found it.

Another picture of 12 caught her eye, but it was much different from the first. The young girl looked happy and bright, as if life had finally entered her face. Underneath in rather large excited letters it read, _"The Master and Mistress have just announced that they will be adopting Eliza. I haven't cried this much out of happiness since I realized I was no longer a slave. She finally has a real family!"_

"Interesting," Robin said thoughtfully more to herself than the other two. Something about Eliza had struck her as odd right from the beginning, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. She still wasn't sure, but at least she could rule out that the girl was lying, since she legally _was_ the daughter of the master of the house, just as she had said.

However, the little girl had also said her mother had sent everyone else away. This young woman, Delilah, must have been among them. From her sketches and short entries, it was clear that everyone had been happy on the island, at least for a while. Why had they all been made to leave?

As Robin continued to flip through the pages she glimpsed more sketches of the island and quite a few of a gentle faced grey-eyed boy. A scrawling of black ink caught her eye, keeping her on that particular page. Unlike the others that had simply one or two neatly done drawings on them, that particular page was cluttered with anxious swirls and lines, sequestered dots and strange little blob creatures. Musical notes filled up the left hand corner, an elaborate vine entrapping the right. They were the drawings of a troubled mind. On the next page were the words: _"Miss Eloise has fallen ill. They won't tell us what's wrong but we all know it's serious."_

"That doesn't sound good…"

Robin looked up and tried not to show her surprise that she had read the line out loud. Chopper met her eyes with concern.

"It doesn't," she agreed.

"Not at all," Brook added solemnly.

The historian took breath and once again began flipping through the notebook's pages. The drawings were becoming few and far between, turning into a tangled mass of never-ending lines and colliding shapes. It almost gave her a headache just glancing at the inky chaos. So she searched for words instead.

Even the inscriptions had become short and jumbled.

 _"Why is this happening?"_

 _"Miss Eloise is under strict bed rest. Eliza refuses to leave her side."_

 _"I haven't seen Master DeLune in weeks. Mistress seems like she's about to crack under all the stress. She told me she was fine when I asked, but I know she's lying."_

 _"They're such kind people… what did they do to deserve such hardship?"_

 _"The house is getting so quiet… I miss the days when it was bustling with visitors and the laughter of others… Will things ever go back to how they were?"_

Somehow, as Robin turned the next couple of pages, she knew they were coming to the end of the entries. Before resuming her reading, she looked to her two crewmates and said as softly as she could. "Something tragic has happened here."

They both nodded silently in agreement.

She couldn't have been more right. The very next page contained a beautiful portrait of a young girl with flowing golden hair and green eyes. _"She's gone. They buried her under the big tree. It was her favorite place in the whole entire world. Rest in peace, Miss Eloise."_

"She died…" Robin looked up to find a teary-eyed Chopper sniffling slightly. "Poor girl… she looked so young…"

"A mere child…" Brook whispered.

An odd chill seemed to surround them, one that caused Chopper to draw closer to the historian. The creepy crawling feeling of something amiss began to wind its way around her body, so it was all she could do to keep reading. There were only a handful of entries left.

 _"The Master and Mistress decided post-pone the finalization of Eliza's adoption. I hope they reach a decision soon. I don't think Eliza can handle any more heartbreak."_

 _"Eliza's been missing for two weeks. The Master is beside himself with worry and guilt."_

 _"It's been two months and even the island seems to be in mourning. Nothing will grow and no one has come to visit. How did it come to this?"_

 _"We're all being sent to Master DeLune's brother's estate. He was kind enough to find us all work where he can guarantee our safety. He's still such a good man despite everything that's happened. Even the marines are leaving. He and the Mistress will be staying here. They will continue looking for Eliza."_

 _"I've decided to leave this notebook behind. There are some things that are better left forgotten. Goodbye, Eon Island."_

The second she read the last word, a loud bang resonated around the room that caused Chopper and Brook to scream. Robin gasped as the door flung open so hard that it collided with the wall. A series of similar slams echoed throughout the hall. Steeling her resolve, Robin sprouted two extra arms as she began to run with the notebook still in her hands, one to carry Chopper and the other to pull Brook.

"Whaaaa!" The reindeer cried. "Where are we going?!"

"Following the doors," she answered as she ran.

Brook let out a garbled shriek as he was dragged along. Robin wished he'd hurry up and use his legs; pulling him was slowing them down and the sound of the flinging doors was beginning to become more and more distant. "Why are we doing _that_?!"

"Because they're leading us to something."

* * *

Zoro quickly shut Mr. Delune's journal, shoved it into his pocket, and braced himself the exact moment the study door flew open so hard it slammed against the wall.

Luffy jumped and let out a shout. "What the-? Who did that?!"

The swordsman didn't even have time to answer. Both he and the captain rushed out into the hall as the sound continued, every door on their side of the corridor flung open by some unseen force. "The hell?!"

Just as the pair were about to take off in the direction of the continually opening doors, a voice called, "Luffy! Zoro!" They turned to find Robin running towards them, a crying Chopper being carried in one set of extra arms and a flailing Brook being pulled along by the other. "Follow the doors!"

Neither man hesitated for a second. They took off down the hall, going up a long staircase with the historian hot on their heels. Zoro grit his teeth. The mansion seemed to get weirder and weirder and whatever was going on, they were definitely going to find out.

* * *

Sanji had Nami by the hand as they ran around, looking for Eliza and Shiloh. They had found themselves in the east wing of the mansion where there were an abundance of empty rooms.

The cook stopped abruptly as a cold sensation ran up his spine. Nami nearly collided into his back at his sudden halt. "Sanji, what are you-"

Without any warning or provocation, the doors they had just passed on the right side flew open, making a horrendous racket as they bounced off the walls on their old hinges. Sanji pulled Nami as close to him as possible and protected her head with his arms as she squeaked in fear. There had been no time for him to prepare an attack with how sudden the rush of cold air and slamming doors had started, so all he could do was protect the navigator as best as he could and brace himself.

For the briefest second, he was sure something was going to crash right into him. But what actually happened was the door closest to them slammed open, followed by the ones further down. When the wave of bangs and thuds finally ceased, Sanji waited a moment before releasing Nami, taking a breath and asking, "Are you alright, Nami-swan?"

Shaking, the busty woman pulled away slightly to look down the dark hall. "What the hell is going on in this place…?"

"Call me crazy," Sanji began slowly, "But I think the doors want us to follow them."

Nami sighed and gave the cook a quick squeeze before righting herself and facing towards the darkness. "Call me even crazier, but I think you're right."

Wordlessly, Sanji took her soft hand and they began to walk down the hallway into a strange darkness that pushed at their eyes. As they stepped closer to whatever was at the end of the path, a new thickness began to settle around them: a strange stale air that almost seemed… warm? The blonde instantly tightened his grip on the navigator. "Stay close." He felt her nod and shift her body closer to his.

Sanji barely had time to enjoy her warmth against his arm before the stench of decay smacked him in the face. Nami made a gagging sound and tore her hand from his to cover her nose and mouth. The blond wasn't offended; he himself was doubled over swallowing the urge to vomit. As a chef, his sense of smell was incredibly strong but there were moments when it wasn't such a great ability. Shaking his head, he steeled his resolve, straightened up, and squared his shoulders. "I'm going further," he stated. "Stay here. It might not be safe."

Surprise widened his eyes as Nami lurched forward to wrap both her arms around his. "No way!" She cried. "If you're going, I'm going. Besides, I'm much safer with you than alone in this creepy place."

Despite the horrid smell and questionable circumstances they were in, Sanji felt himself moved by the navigator's faith in him. With a smile, he gestured towards the odd blotch of blackness that stood before them. "Shall we?"

"Might as well…"

They walked towards the darkness, the smell becoming more imposing and yet somehow distant. Sanji was reminded of the smell of rotten eggs just after the shells broke. The initial blast of smell was vile, but after being released it would inevitably dissipate due to the contact with the air. The smell leaking from whatever was up ahead was fading in a similar fashion.

The cook felt Nami press in closer to him as large looming double doors came into sight before them. Both doors had been thrown open wide, like a gaping toothless mouth yet they kept walking slowly forward. His eyes were adjusting to the dark quickly, a prickling sensation running up his neck.

Before his brain could register anything else than that they had entered a bedroom, Nami let out a terrified scream. She turned around and began to run back down the hall but didn't make it far before she ran right into Zoro. "What's going on?!" The swordsman shouted as he pushed Nami protectively behind him and lowered into a defensive stance.

Sanji took a breath, not even bothering to ask why they were there and answered solemnly, "There's a body in there."

"Oh." All eyes turned to Robin. "Then we may have found the master of the house."

* * *

 _ **a/n**_

 _Things are getting weird up in here._

 _Thanks for reading, especially those who have waited so patiently for an update! More to come!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Eon Island**

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

The skeletal remains of Arturo DeLune lay uncovered on the bed, the sheets and his clothing stained with the fluids of decomposition. _Well,_ Sanji thought with mild disgust, _That explains the smell._

Robin stepped forward fearlessly, her blue eyes roaming around the bones searchingly. "No blunt force trauma wounds on the head and no broken limbs. It would seem to me that he died of natural causes."

"How do we know his wife didn't poison him or something?"

Sanji sent Zoro a glare. How dare the moss-head insinuate that the beautiful woman in all the portraits could do such a thing? Before he could throw any insults, Robin replied, "We can't be sure, but a murderer doesn't usually leave a full body intact for anyone to find."

"Wh-where do you think his wife is?" Chopper asked nervously.

"Maybe _he_ killed _her_ …?" Brook suggested darkly.

Nami let out a sound halfway between a snort and a squeak. "Why is everyone assuming that someone who lived here was a killer?"

There was a pause until Robin answered, "I found a notebook that belonged to one of the maids. She said that the DeLunes' real daughter died and Eliza disappeared. They sent everyone away while they stayed to look for her."

Zoro surprised them all by pulling a small journal out of his pocket. "I found one too. It's his," he said casually, jerking his head towards the skeleton on the bed.

Sanji aimed a kick at him that was easily blocked. "Why didn't you say something earlier, stupid Marimo?!"

"Because following the damn doors seemed way more important than some damn diary, Shit-Cook!"

Before they could start a brawl, one of Robin's hands appeared between them and grabbed the journal. "We shall see."

* * *

Shiloh had followed Eliza through eerily quiet corridors, ascending up stairs that seemed rarely used and passing by doors that looked like they hadn't been opened in many years. Unease bit at the back of her neck, but she had kept a smile on her face as Eliza chatted excitedly on about her room.

The young girl had given the redhead a bit of information about her life as they walked, that there used to be many visitors to the island and suddenly they had stopped coming. Then her mother had sent everyone else away. She said her parents spent their days inspecting the island for any sort of damage from weather or natural causes.

Shiloh didn't believe any of it.

Still, she didn't question the blue-eyed girl and followed her right into her room. She noticed that the door was pink, with the name "Eloise" beautifully carved into the wood. Or at least, it had been. Roughly hewn scratches marred the name, Eliza's being written messily underneath it with some sort of black marker.

"Here we are," the girl piped happily.

Unlike the rest of the house, Eliza's room looked lived-in and lively, full of toys and stuffed animals, dresses and shoes thrown haphazardly about the way a child would leave them after getting dressed. The white frilly bed was unmade, stuffed animals taking residence on all sides. A few dolls took residence around the room, a particularly pretty blonde-haired green-eyed one standing next to an empty doll stand in the corner. The faded yellow paint on the walls was the only sign of age.

Shiloh nodded, kept her smile in place and said, "This looks like a fun place to play."

"It's my favorite place in the whole house," Eliza told her as she took her hand and pulled her in. "I can do whatever I want in here!"

The redhead ignored the bell that went off in her head at the child's words. Though she was suspicious, she had yet to find a reason for the feeling. Despite knowing that something was amiss, without being able to pinpoint _what it was,_ she could do nothing but go along with Eliza's antics and see what she could learn. Taking a mildly interested look around the room, Shiloh asked as pleasantly as she could, "So what would you like to play?"

"Dress up," came the immediate reply.

Eliza scrambled over to a large open trunk overflowing with clothes and rummaged around in it, her small body nearly swallowed in sea of garments so that only her small flailing legs were visible.

Shiloh felt a genuine grin form on her face. She really did like kids, and though she was wary of Eliza, she didn't believe that the girl would hurt her. What was the harm in playing along for a little while in exchange for the possibility of gaining information? The redhead wondered briefly if the Straw Hat Pirates were doing all right waiting in that one room before tossing the thought away; of course they weren't still in there. Without a doubt, they were wandering around, some attempting to gather information just as she was, and others probably causing trouble or about to do so.

With a triumphant exclamation, Eliza reappeared and skipped over to Shiloh holding a maid's uniform. _Not a_ _ **costume**_ , Shiloh noted, _A_ _ **uniform**_.

"This is for you," Eliza stated.

Shiloh nodded and took the outfit from her, the very light and lingering scent of perfume coming from the bodice not lost on the redhead. "What are you going to be?" She asked curiously.

Eliza smiled brightly and pulled another, much smaller maid's uniform out from under the bed. "I'm going to be a maid too."

"Oh, I see," Shiloh replied good-naturedly despite her curiosity. They put the outfits on in silence and once finished, she asked, "So what's our story?"

"First you have to choose a name."

"Okay." The redhead looked up thoughtfully. "How about Mary?"

"Hmm… Nah."

"Fran?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Chihiro?"

"Nope."

Shiloh's brow rose as she gave the young girl a playful grin. "Why don't you choose for me?"

"Delly," came the shockingly immediate response. "Short for 'Delilah.'"

"That's a pretty name," Shiloh replied, trying to keep the rising suspicion from her face. "What about you?"

"I'm going to be Eloise."

Something about her words seemed to echo about the room, bouncing off the walls and sinking into the floor. Shiloh could hear the words repeating in her ears. She couldn't help it any longer; she was going to have to pry a little. "Oh," the redhead said as casually as possible, "Like the name that's crossed out on the door."

In a flash, almost as if she had flown, Eliza was at Shiloh's face, deep blue eyes glaring into gold as she forcefully yanked at the lock of hair that fell in front of Shiloh's ear. The redhead nearly yelped in surprise and pain but held her voice and gaze steady. "My name is the _only_ one on the door," Eliza hissed darkly.

A terse silence filled the room before Shiloh took a breath and glanced at the small hand still clenched firmly around her hair. "You know," she began conversationally, "This isn't very proper, _Eloise._ "

The young girl's attitude changed instantly as she released Shiloh and smiled. "I'm sorry, Delly. I just didn't want you to be confused. You know this is my room."

"Right," Shiloh replied in a mellow voice. She was starting to feel slightly on edge but she couldn't let Eliza notice. For now, she would play along. "So if we're maids, who do we work for?"

"The DeLune Family."

"Your parents?"

"Not in the game," Eliza said with a playful eye roll. "Well not yet, anyway. Later they'll adopt me but we won't get there right away."

Shiloh made a mental note to remember what the young girl had just said. "So where do we start?"

Eliza gestured widely around the room, her ringlets bouncing from the motion. "Let's pick up around the room, and while we do that, you tell me about the guy who brings the mail."

"The guy who brings the mail?" Asked the redhead with a raised brow.

"Yeah! You really like him. Tell me all about how he's nice and looks good in the postman uniform."

Shiloh walked slowly over to a pile of clothing and began folding while trying to think of something to say about someone she didn't know. Sure, she had plenty of men in her memory banks that she could have pulled characteristics from, but nearly every single one filled her with nausea and guilt for even having met them.

She sighed. There was only one man she knew that she could speak of with genuine affection. "Well," she began slowly, "He's tall and muscular." Taking a breath, she tried to ignore the eerily intense look she was getting from Eliza. "At first he seems like a cold person but when you get to know him he's actually very kind and gentle. And he's brave; the bravest person I've ever met."

Eliza was suddenly right in front of her, eyes wide as if she was trying to look into Shiloh's head. "Do you like him?"

Shiloh tried not to show the slight chill of fear that ran through her veins at the young girl's close proximity. "Yes. I like him a lot."

"Do you love him?"

The redhead's mouth set in a firm line. She had thought about that question herself plenty of times, but she had yet to come up with a definite answer. She _wanted_ to say yes. But she wasn't yet sure. Zoro was special to her for sure, but they simply hadn't been together long enough or experienced enough together for her to be sure and she refused to throw the word 'love' around as if it were some sort of cheap thrill or commodity.

Even though she could feel danger approaching, Shiloh chose not to answer.

Eliza inched even closer. "Do you love him?" She repeated slowly, the question beginning to sound more like a demand.

"I… I can't tell you that," Shiloh answered honestly with as much sincerity as she could muster.

"Here's the thing," Eliza began. Shiloh's eyes widened as a sicken crash came from the window as it shattered, a very large branch like vine wrapping around her arms. "I like you a lot." Through the her peripherals, Shiloh could just make out the room suddenly being swallowed by the same kind of branches that were restricting her, only they were thinner and reddish in color, almost like veins. "But if you're in love with someone you'll leave me, just like _she_ did. And I can't let that happen now that someone who looks just like her has come here."

 _"You'll leave me, just like_ _ **she**_ _did."_ The words struck a chord in Shiloh's heart, one that she'd rather no one touch. The same fear often gripped at her very being, the feeling of being left behind a constant shadow that loomed above her. But she knew better than to give in. It had taken meeting a certain pirate crew to become strong enough to fight it off, but it happened; she learned to cope. Despite her fear, the redhead felt sorry that such a young child had to experience such a thing.

Steeling her resolve, Shiloh took a deep breath and said, "I never meant to leave you."

The branches seemed to pulse as Eliza's eyes widened. " _They're connected to her somehow,"_ Shiloh realized.

"What…?"

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I never meant to hurt you." They were the words that she herself had dreamed of hearing and never would. They were also the words she wished she had said before it was too late to do so. The person she owed them too was long gone, dead before she could run back home and apologize. She knew Eliza needed those words. She didn't know what had happened or what was to come, but she meant it.

The branches loosed around her and fell to the floor, slithering away. Eliza looked up at her, eyes filling with tears. It was the first time she truly looked like a child since they had met. "Is… is this part of the game?"

With her simple question, Shiloh knew she had suddenly gained control of the situation. What the situation even was, she was unsure, but it was within her reach to gain the knowledge she needed to get back to the others.

She put on her best smile and reached for Eliza's small, very cold, hand. "Eliza," she cooed. "I think we both know that playtime is over."

* * *

The silence was beginning to piss him off. Zoro watched Robin's face intently as she read Arturo DeLune's journal, but the historian was a pro at keeping a blank face. He couldn't tell if what she was reading was good or bad.

"How long is this gonna take?!" Luffy whined.

Nami reached over and smacked him upside the head, causing his neck to stretch out before snapping back into place. "Quit complaining!" She screeched. "It'll take as long as it takes, Stupid Captain!"

"But I wanna fight already!"

Sanji crossed his arms and frowned disapprovingly. "You want to fight a little girl?"

"No," came the petulant reply. "But I want to fight _something_. And who knows if Eliza even is a little girl?"

Chopper shivered. "What else would she be…?"

Luffy looked up thoughtfully. "A zombie?"

"That would explain the stale smell in this place," Brook commented. "Though I don't even have a nose to smell with! Perhaps she's a ghost?"

Chopper gasped.

"Or a demon," Zoro added gruffly.

Chopper nearly fainted.

"Stop it, you idiots!" Nami barked. "We won't know anything if you guys won't quiet down and let Robin r-"

"She's dead."

The rest of the crew immediately ceased their bickering, a chill running down all their spines. Luffy recovered first. "I think we all kinda guessed that."

Robin took a deep breath and explained, "They found her body tangled up in the giant tree's roots." Somber stares intensified as she continued, "Shortly after, Mrs. DeLune hung herself on one of the tree's branches."

"Shit…" Zoro mumbled as he shook his head.

"What about him?" Sanji asked with a jerk of his head towards where Mr. DeLune was still laying.

The historian slowly looked up, her eyes troubled. "That's where it gets strange."

"Like it wasn't already?" Nami squeaked.

"There's a long gap between the last entry and the one before it," Robin continued. "Many years, in fact. The very last entry says: _'I have to leave her behind. I'm much too old to be playing with such a thing anyway. My days are numbered; I can feel it in my bones. At least I'll be with my family soon.'_ The one before it was about his wife's death."

There was a long pause that fell between the pirates before Sanji began, "So… He stopped writing and went crazy after she died?"

Robin met his eyes squarely with a slight frown on her face. "There's no real way for us to know what happened between her death and his." Again, a tense silence befell them until the historian continued slowly, "But he said 'her.' He had to leave 'her' behind."

Zoro felt a chill run up his spine.

Nami's brows knitted together in confusion. "There's no way he was talking about his wife if she died before him, right? Unless he was talking about her… remains?"

Chopper let out a sound that was half gasp, half squeak as he fell backwards in a dead faint. Luckily, he was caught by Brook who suggested, "Or maybe the 'her' he's referring to is the island itself?"

Zoro and Sanji exchanged glances as the rest of the crew began coming up with more explanations, Luffy's becoming more and more ridiculous. The swordsman finally realized what had made him so uneasy about Eliza, and by the look in the cook's eyes, so had he. The silent way she moved, the frilly way she dressed, her perfectly curled hair, and her deep blue nearly _bottomless_ eyes set in such a small face…

"A doll."

All heads turned towards the swordsman except Sanji, who had looked away, eyes shadowed by his hair. Realization seemed to hit Robin as she re-read Arturo DeLune's final entry: " _I have to leave her behind._ _ **I'm much too old to be playing with such a thing anyway**_ _."_

Nami paled and grabbed onto Luffy, who was the closest to her. "No way… How… how is that even possible?"

The captain looked up thoughtfully, looking the least disturbed out of all of them. "Maybe he just really wanted someone to play with."

"Loneliness can make people do crazy things," Brook replied sadly.

"It can make people do _impossible_ things."

Sanji turned to the dark haired woman. "What do you mean?"

"Strong emotions have a way of living on even after the physical body dies. This place is filled with the emotions of so many people."

"What are you saying?" Zoro asked roughly. "That it's a ghost inside a doll?"

"I'm saying that this island was filled with the hopes and wishes of so many people. It's also filled with sorrow and loss and loneliness. Those are strong feelings; feelings that might have found a home in a singular object."

"Eliza," Nami whispered.

Robin nodded. "She is the product of all those powerful feelings put together in one singular vessel."

"She has memories, though." Luffy pointed out. "How does she have memories if she's a big mash-up of everything everyone who's been her felt?"

The historian gave him a sad look. "Eliza must have had the strongest feelings of them all. Hers left the most impact."

"So what do we do?" Zoro asked. "Whatever she is, she's got Shy and we have no idea what she's capable of."

"I'm assuming," Robin answered, "That she wants Shiloh to stay here with her."

The swordsman frowned. "Like hell I'm going to let that happen!"

"Me either!" Luffy shouted.

Robin couldn't help but give a wry grin. "That's what I thought you'd say." She stood and pointed towards the door. "So let's get to the root of the problem."

Brook tilted his head to the side. "Which is…?"

The historian took a breath and pointed out the window. "The tree."

"The tree?" Nami asked hesitantly.

"That's where Eliza's body was found. Let's see what else we can find."

The Straw Hat Pirates briefly glanced at one another. There was a mixture of fear, determination and excitement on their faces. Luffy grinned and planted his hat more firmly on his head.

"All right, guys, you heard her. Let's go!"

* * *

 _ **a/n**_

 _Whoo, this chapter took a long time to finish! Thank you for being patient with me and for continuing to read this story. Things are getting stranger on Eon Island. Thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Eon Island**

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

"It's different."

Luffy blinked in confusion at Zoro's statement. "Huh?"

Sanji stepped forward as they stared through the trees, Nami, Chopper, and Brook hanging back a bit. "He's right. It didn't look like this earlier." The cook frowned. How had the trees gotten so bent and crooked? They had looked perfectly normal last time he had seen them. "They just looked like trees. Now they look…"

"Wrong," Nami whispered. "They look _wrong._ "

* * *

"The truth is, I haven't seen Mommy in a long time," Eliza admitted. Shiloh tried to ignore the lack of warmth in the young girl's hand as they walked on together through the forest. "But I'm pretty sure Daddy is around. He locks himself in his room sometimes and I'm not allowed in there."

"You must get pretty lonely when that happens."

Eliza looked up thoughtfully but kept walking. "Maybe a little bit. But not all the time." Her blue eyes snapped forward as the forest grew dark up ahead. "We're almost there."

Shiloh frowned. It hadn't looked nearly as menacing when she had been there earlier in the day with Zoro. Certainly it had been slightly eerie, the feeling of being watched pricking against her skin, but the air had entirely changed. Heaviness hung about, giving her the impression that she was no longer simply being watched, but completely and utterly unwanted.

She was trespassing.

Swallowing her unease, the young redheaded woman stared into the darkness they were heading towards. "Is this really where the tree is?"

Eliza halted in her steps and tilted her head. "Yeah. Why?"

For a second, Shiloh debated on whether to be honest or not. However, she saw no point in lying and being truthful with Eliza had proven much more beneficial so far so she replied slowly, "I was here this morning. It didn't look exactly like this."

"What did it look like?"

"Just a normal forest."

"Huh," Eliza breathed. She began to walk once again, heading straight into the darkness but at a slower pace than before. "Did it call you?"

Surprised by the question, Shiloh nearly tripped over a large branch around her feet. "What?"

"Sometimes it calls people," the little girl explained, suddenly not sounding childlike at all. "It likes people who are happy."

Trying to calm her heartbeat, Shiloh focused on taking even breaths as she recalled hearing Zoro's voice calling out to her while she had sat on the Thousand Sunny's deck, waiting for his return. A shiver ran up her spine at the realization that she had been tricked.

Anxiousness began to assault the redhead's gut and it was all she could do to keep from gagging. She had thought that maybe she'd gotten the upper hand on the whole situation but it was clear as the forest was dark that she had been gravely mistaken. There was no way to know what was waiting deeper in the forest, or what was going to happen to her. She was way in over her head and all she could do was follow Eliza and hope that eventually the others would find her. In what state they'd find her she had no idea. "Alive" was slowly becoming doubtful in her panicked mind, and merely injured would be a happy miracle.

"So whose voice did you hear?"

Eliza's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She hoped the girl didn't notice how sweaty her hand had gotten. "What?"

"When the tree calls people it uses a familiar voice. Whose voice did you hear?"

"Zoro's," Shiloh replied, surprising herself. She hadn't even _considered_ answering before his name was on her lips. An odd tingle ran up the back of her head. What was going on?

"The green haired guy with the swords, right?" Eliza didn't wait for confirmation. "He seems like he's going to be a problem."

Despite the sudden rush of fear that ran cold in her veins, Shiloh tried a reassuring smile that she hoped passed as convincing. "The bunch of them just _look_ like trouble. They're actually the kindest people I've ever met."

"Even though they're pirates?"

Her smile turned genuine. "Even though they're pirates."

However, the warmth that had wrapped around her heart disappeared as quickly as it came as the forest suddenly seemed to close in on them at breakneck speed. The gnarled trees appeared to be falling over. Instinctively, Shiloh grabbed Eliza's smaller frame, crouched down and held her protectively against her body, shielding the child's head with her arms.

But the crash of wood against her bones never came. Instead she felt coldness brush against her skin and a lack of substance filling her lungs as she breathed. She gently released her hold on Eliza, whose body was also lacking any heat. She would have wondered about the girl if she weren't so shocked at the absolute nothingness around them. It was as she had gone blind to the world, seeing only the strange young child before her.

Eliza turned around, her face passive, and motioned ahead. "It's not far now."

* * *

The Straw Hat Pirates stood in a back-to-back huddle, a mixture of determination and fear emanating from them. Chopper shivered in Nami's arms as the navigator pulled closer between Sanji and Luffy. Brook and Zoro both had swords out while Robin stood with her arms crossed in front of her, ready for a fight.

Darkness had surrounded them so suddenly that all they could do was prepare for an attack. A long minute passed by before Robin relaxed her posture, stood up straight and scanned the area. The only things visible were her crewmates. It was as if everything else in existence had been wiped away. In a slightly macabre and depressing way, she found it quite fascinating.

The others, however, had differing opinions. "What the _hell_ is going on?!"

"If we knew," Sanji bit back. "Then we wouldn't be standing here doing _nothing_ , you dumb-ass swordsman!"

"Oh no," Nami scolded, fear forgotten momentarily as she stood between Sanji and Zoro. "Don't you dare start fighting now! We need to stay focused!"

"But Nami," Luffy called in a near whine. "There isn't even anything to focus on!"

"Things don't just simply disappear," Robin cut in before the arguing could escalate further. "They change. Theoretically, we should be able to just keep walking."

The rest of the group silently looked around in different directions, heads swiveling this way and that until all eyes once again settled on the historian. Brook made an unsure noise and asked, "But which way? It's dark as far as they eye can see. Though I don't have any eyes! _Yo-ho-ho-ho_!"

"Don't start," Zoro growled. "I say we go this way," he suggested with a point to his left.

"There is no _fucking_ way we're letting you lead. Your sense of direction will get us all killed."

"What did you say, Curly Brow?!"

"STOP. IT." The threatening tone lacing Nami's voice silenced the pair immediately. They all knew that tone. It was full of the promise of pain and debt if they didn't listen. "We need to _stay_ together and _keep it_ together." With a deep breath she reasoned out loud: "Eliza is heading towards the tree. No, to be more precise, she's leading Shiloh to the tree. So we need to follow Shiloh. But how do we determine which direction Shy is going?"

"Ah!" Chopper exclaimed after a brief silence. "Scent! If I could get her scent from something I might be able to catch the trail and find her. Does anyone have something of hers?"

Luffy cocked his head to one side. "Do you have anything like that, Zoro?"

The swordsman frowned. "Why are you asking me?"

Sanji snorted. "Well, you _are_ together. It would make the most sense." Without waiting for a heated response from the other man, the cook plucked the small doctor from Nami's arms and held him at Zoro's chest. "Smell him, Chopper. I bet he has Shiloh's scent all over him."

"Ah, young love, shining through even the darkest of places," Brook sang, a sudden haze of flowers hovering softly around his head.

"Shut up!" Zoro growled, a slight blush tinting the top of his ears. He directed his one-eyed glare at Sanji. "Just because _you_ want to be all over your woman doesn't mean I-"

"Got it," Chopper announced triumphantly after a brief sniff of Zoro's shirt.

Sanji practically dropped the reindeer in his sudden burst of laughter. Luffy reached over to pat Zoro's back. "Good job, Zoro! Now we can find them!"

"If I weren't worried that Shy got her stupid little self into trouble I would kick your ass right, Shit Cook!"

"Ooooh so now you're worried?" Nami teased, the temporary in joy in messing with Zoro a welcome distraction from the emptiness that surrounded them. "That's so _sweet_."

"Shut up!"

"Don't yell at my beloved Nami-swan!"

The crew began to alternately bicker and tease one another, but they also began walking as one with Luffy and Chopper in front, the reindeer's nose twitching as he lead through the dark.

After a short while, Nami took a breath and asked Robin, "So, do you really think Eliza and the tree are connected?"

The historian nodded slowly. "Earlier, I was assuming that the whole island, including the tree was influenced by the emotions left behind by everyone who had lived here."

"But now?" Nami pressed on curiously.

"Now I strongly believe that the tree is currently the reason for Eliza's and the island's condition."

"You think the tree is the _cause_ of all this craziness?"

Ice blue eyes stared deeply into the unending darkness. "You've heard about both Sunlight Tree Eve and Treasure Tree Adam." Nami nodded. "And we know about the Devil Fruit Trees. If there are trees with those kinds of abilities, then who's to say there aren't an endless amount of powers they can possess?"

"I wonder," Brook began, "What kind of strange power this tree we're looking for has to be able to create such a lonely place."

"I may have an idea," Robin replied, causing the others to look at her with rapt attention. "I remember reading long ago about a seed that adapts to almost any environment and becomes whatever kind of plant will best survive wherever its planted. The diary we found in the servants quarters mentioned that the tree here found a way to filter out the saltwater of the ocean. I believe that is how it originally got so big."

"Originally?" Sanji questioned. "So that's not what's sustaining it anymore? What's keeping it alive now?"

Robin stopped in her tracks, causing the others to do the same. "I believe… it's feeding on the dead."

A shocked silence fell around The Straw Hat Pirates. "What do you mean?" Zoro growled.

"Mr. DeLune's daughter, Eloise, was buried near it, as was his wife after she passed. Later, Eliza's body was found tangled in the roots." She paused and took a deep breath. "Do you remember that Nami's books said this place wasn't sustainable and that anyone who tried to reclaim it either disappeared or ran away? I believe it was because of the tree. Because it became hungry and learned to hunt for food."

"Or had food brought to it," Nami whispered, horrified at the realization.

Robin nodded. "And like I said before, humans have incredibly strong emotions. Who are we to say that the tree is indeed not feeding off of that as well?"

"This is crazy," Sanji breathed as he ran a hand through his hair. "How can something like this exist?"

"It has a name," the historian continued solemnly. "A name for the kind of cancerous growth that has tasted flash and become too many entities."

"Too many entities?" Chopper squeaked with fear.

"Part monster, part plant, and part… whatever it has had to become to survive. The call it the Tree of Legion."

"Legion?" Luffy asked with a curious tilt of his head.

"The demon," Zoro replied, causing everyone to turn and stare at his display of knowledge. Sensing their surprise, he explained, "I read something a long time ago about a demon named Legion. Many demons forming a single being. They all possessed the same man before being cast out into a bunch of pigs. "

"I didn't know you could read," Sanji mumbled.

"What was that, Asshole?!"

"STOP IT!" Nami barked. "We need to find Shiloh," she continued urgently. "I don't even want to think what will happen to her if we waste any more time."

There was no way for them to calculate how long they had been walking without so much as a sign that they were really going anywhere, but it was long enough that conversation had died out and given way to a thick silence. Then, in the distance formed a tiny spot of deep red.

Luffy opened his mouth to call out, but Zoro's hand immediately clamped over it. "Don't," he whispered.

"She's probably not alone," Sanji elaborated. "We don't want to startle Eliza or whatever the hell else is here."

Nami frowned. "How are we supposed to know what move to make if we can't get close enough?"

"Allow me," Robin replied with a cross of her arms. Silently, she produced an eye right at Shiloh's feet.

The historian tried not to gasp at the sight ahead. The deep scarlet shape they had spotted had not been Shiloh after all, but the base of the giant tree. The redhead stood before it, Eliza between the young woman and the trunk.

Slowly, like crawling veins, the trees branches and roots began to sprout and form, tangling and twisting as the sky returned. Robin had to move the eye so that it was sitting just on top of one of the knotted roots.

Her vision rose upward and she audibly gasped, causing the other Straw Hat Pirates to look at her with concern. But she couldn't acknowledge them. Her vision was glued to the sight of what looked like people fused in the tree's thick branches. They almost seemed to be carved into the bark, hollow eyes melancholy and mouths formed into jagged unnatural smiles.

When the historian saw Eliza's lips begin to move, she also produced an ear on another branch.

"The tree has its own mind, you know." Eliza told Shiloh, who stood absolutely still in shock. "It listens to me when I talk and does what I ask. You see all these people," she asked, gesturing to the humanoid forms protruding from the trunk and branches, "They were all the ones I liked. It kept them here for me."

"And… the ones you didn't like?" Shiloh asked nervously.

Eliza shrugged. "I don't know. It took care of them one way or another."

Unbeknownst to the pair under the tree, the Straw Hat Pirates had slowly been inching forward, getting closer and closer, preparing for an attack and a rescue. "And without this tree," Eliza continued, "The island would die. It keeps everything alive."

Shiloh shook her head. "Is that really what you think? What on this island is even still living?"

"I am," Eliza snapped, her childlike qualities long gone. "I'm still here and so are my parents, somewhere."

The Straw Hat Pirates braced themselves as the redhead steeled her resolve and asked boldly, "Are you sure about that?"

Bottomless blue eyes narrowing, Eliza raised a hand, causing one of the trees branches to move and hover dangerously near Shiloh's face. "You know," Eliza replied in a low, almost snake-like hiss, "I'm starting to like you less and less."

With the speed of a whip, the tree had made to grab Shiloh around the middle but was stopped as the branch was sliced clean off, flying into the empty distance. Zoro stood beside the surprised redhead for but a moment before launching himself at Eliza, sword drawn and ready to deliver a fatal blow.

"Zoro, NO!"

The rest of the crew watched with a mixture of surprise and horror as Zoro faltered in his step and turned to give Shiloh a questioning glance. That single second of hesitation was all it took for the tree to grab him by the ankle and pull him towards its trunk, his swords dropping deep into the sea of roots below. Branches began to shoot out in all directions, grabbing and pulling whatever they could reach. The remaining Straw Hat Pirates lost sight of one another as they dodged and attempted to attack, but the growth soon became too thick for them to move.

The last thing Shiloh saw before the roots gave way beneath her feet was Sanji reaching for Zoro's outstretched arm as the swordsman struggled to free himself of the red vein-like branches that were crawling up his entire body.

Then there was a fall and the sound of shouting before she and some of the others were once again surrounded by darkness, encased in an underground prison made of the trees tangled roots.

* * *

 **a/n**

 _Sorry this is taking so long! Rest assured, it **will**_ _be completed. I apologize if the quality of the writing isn't very good; I took a bit of a break from this story and I'm slowly getting back into the feel of it. As always, thanks for reading!_


End file.
